Zelensky Says Ukraine-Russia War Can End Under These Five Conditions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given his conditions for his country to have peace talks with Vladimir Putin's Russia in his latest address.

During his nightly televised address on Monday, Zelensky gave an update on the ongoing conflict.

He also insisted that countries should be focused on ending Russian aggression now in order to focus on other global issues like food crisis and the climate crisis.

In his video address, which was posted on YouTube by the Ukrainian News Agency, Ukrinform, Zelensky has said the country has previously attempted peace talks but been met with more aggression from Russia.

"Anyone who is serious about the climate agenda should also be serious about the need to immediately stop Russian aggression, restore our territorial integrity, and force Russia into real peace negotiations," Zelensky said according to a YouTube translation.

"The kind of negotiations that we have repeatedly proposed and always received crazy Russian respond with new acts of terrorism, shelling or blackmail."

Zelensky also clearly reiterated the five key conditions in peace talks that could end the conflict.

"Once again, restoration of our territorial integrity, respect for the UN Charter, compensation for all damages caused by the war, punishment of every war criminal and guarantees that this will not happen again," Zelensky said.

Despite these calls for peace, during his speech, Zelensky also highlighted the alleged success his army has been having against Russian forces.

Zelensky said that Donetsk, which Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed for Russia in late September, remained the "epicenter" of a Russian military "madness" that had resulted in hundreds of soldier deaths per day.

"The Donetsk region remains the epicenter of the greatest madness of the occupiers—they die by the hundreds every day," Zelensky said. "The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is literally littered with the bodies of the occupiers."

An adviser to Zelensky has also said that Ukraine is prepared to negotiate with Russia in order to end the conflict once Putin is out of office.

On Monday, adviser Mykhailo Podolya, tweeted that Ukraine "never refused to negotiate" an end to the conflict, noting their long-standing position that they would only negotiate after Russia withdraws its troops from the entirety of Ukraine.

Podolya said he does not believe Putin is prepared to fairly approach peace talks, suggesting talks may not occur until Putin is no longer the leader of Russia. Although Putin has faced growing discontent over his military's failure to achieve substantial goals in Ukraine, he has not indicated any plans to step down.

"Is Putin ready?" Podolya wrote. "Obviously not. Therefore, we are constructive in our assessment: we will talk with the next leader of [the Russian Federation]."

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.